Londrina, Brazil is home to the gorgeous new Palhano Eco-Market, a bright green gathering place adorned by chic sliding louvers and hanging roof gardens. Designed by Studio Guilherme Torres, the LEED-worthy market was a bit of a challenge to put together with its low-lying design dictated by height restrictions and quite a bit of unattractive infrastructure to hide. But you'd never know that looking at it, would you?

Making sure that the project met the most stringent sustainability requirements was high on the designers’ agenda, so they commissioned a local environmental consultancy – Master Ambiental – to lead the green way. With their guidance, materials were sourced locally, water was used carefully, and energy was apportioned efficiently. But ensuring that a design is truly sustainable frequently transcends just the site and materials.

So Guilherme Torres also focused on establishing a wholesome commercial center that would instill pride in Londrina’s community and lift them up and usher in a new era of concerned, purposeful development. The long sight lines, natural facades, and splashes of yellow are definitely something to be proud of, and we hope to see a lot more from this team in the future.